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Rockets from Syria hit northern Lebanon

One person reportedly killed and several injured after 10 rockets hit northern border town of Hermel.

11 Jun 2013 19:40 GMT

One of the rockets fired from Syria caused the outbreak of a fire in an orchard in Hermel [Reuters]

Several rockets launched from Syria have hit the eastern Lebanese town of Hermel, a bastion of the Shia group Hezbollah, reportedly killing at least one person and wounding several others.

Tuesday's incident was the latest in a series of cross-border rocket attacks on Shia areas of Lebanon.

Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid, reporting from Lebanon, said the victim was reportedly killed while driving when about 10 rockets hit the town.

"It appears that the person who died was driving through the city of Hermel when one of these rockets fired from across the border from Syria hit the car," our correspondent said.

Attacks on the northern Lebanese area have escalated since Syrian troops backed by fighters from Hezbollah, a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, retook the central Syrian town of Qusayr last week.

"It is the first time since the fall of Qusayr that Hermel was hit," Abdel Hamid said.

Lebanon is sharply divided along sectarian lines, which have been emphasised by the conflict in Syria.

The Sunni-led March 14 opposition supports the Sunni-dominated revolt against Assad, while Hezbollah and its allies back Assad's forces.